General Statement of Purpose of the Contract:

The Senior (Sr.) Education Advisor will serve as a technical expert and advisor for USAID/Ethiopia’s Education and Youth Office (EYO) and serve as the lead for EYO’s Education Sub-Team.   She/he will provide technical expertise and project management, and administrative oversight for EYO’s education programming.   In this capacity, the Advisor plays a key technical role in designing, managing, and monitoring activities valued at roughly $15 million per year. The EYO Office consists of two sub-teams : 1) Education Team and 2) Youth Team.  The Education Advisor will directly oversee the Education Sub-Team and provide EYO with technical expertise and have specific project design and management responsibility for activities supporting early childhood education, education in emergencies, foundational learning, and advise the youth team on functional literacy programming and other relevant youth empowerment interventions.

The Sr. Education Advisor represents USAID’s education programming to the Government of Ethiopia, in particular the Ministry of Education and the Regional Education Bureaus, and establishes close working relationships with other development partners, the private sector, and key stakeholders. S/he will also coordinate with other USAID technical Offices and support offices to ensure unity of effort, integration, sustainability and the achievement of Agency results.

The Sr. Education Advisor is required to exercise professional judgment and expertise in planning and carrying out tasks, including the specific approach to be taken, the resolution of challenges and conflicts, and the meeting of deadlines.  The incumbent is required to work with minimum supervision and in collaboration with other professional staff internal and external to the Mission and Agency and may supervise other staff, as required.

Statement of Duties to be Performed:

A. Management of the Education Sub-Team to include Portfolio Activity Programmatic Design and Management (45% of time).

The Sr. Education Advisor serves as the Education sub-team lead and assists the Office Director with technical oversight and management of the USAID/Ethiopia Education and Youth Portfolio. This includes the following areas:

• Provide technical leadership and insights into the design and development of new education activities and initiatives, analyze Government of Ethiopia policies, strategies, and implementation plans to ensure coordination and complementarity of efforts.
• Represent USAID in relevant Technical Working Groups.
• Oversee, monitor and report on performance of Implementing Partners’ field activities through review of project documentation, communications, and periodic field visits.
• Evaluate and analyze Implementers’ data to ensure accuracy and effectiveness of development activities.
• Support direct project management of EYO contracts and agreements to ensure that activity objectives are being effectively met within USAID guidelines and regulations.
• Assist EYO in preparation and presentation of key reviews and documentation, including semi-annual portfolio reviews, annual report narratives, implementation letters, activity approval documents, correspondence and others as required.
• Oversee learning processes across EYO programs to ensure data and research are used to inform programmatic improvements.
• Contribute to strategic planning, performance monitoring, and major EYO program decisions.
• Demonstrate independent action in setting work priorities, deciding on activity implementation matters, problem identification, and problem solving.
• Assure that all activities are carried out in a technically sound, cost-effective, and ethical manner, in accordance with Mission and Agency requirements and regulations.

B. Stakeholder and Customer Relations (45% of time).

• Build and maintain key relationships with representatives of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education and Regional Education Bureaus to foster collaboration and coordinate appropriate technical assistance. Other Government of Ethiopia relationships may also be formed with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth, and the Jobs Creation Commission.
• Represent USAID/Ethiopia to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) as well as other development partners to discuss and develop plans to improve collaboration and coordination between the Government of Ethiopia, donors, and implementing partners, including NGOs and civil society organizations.
• Identify opportunities for engaging traditional and non-traditional partners, including the private sector, universities, and diaspora, in efforts to improve education services.
• Act as liaison between EYO and other Offices to ensure that cross cutting objectives are met. Proactively participate in team and Mission processes and activities.
• Provide briefings to visitors, short-term consultants, and other program-related guests of USAID (e.g., congressional delegations, senior-level USAID officials).
• Serve as a resource for USAID, US Embassy inter-agency and other personnel by addressing requests for technical and programmatic information, and providing guidance related to Agency goals and initiatives.
• Collaborate with key USAID Bureaus and offices as needed to ensure efficient program planning, management, and reporting.
• Represent USAID at internal and external events, receptions, conferences and workshops.

C. Supervision (10% of time) 

• Provide guidance on work tasks to EYO team members in collaboration with the EYO Director to improve team performance and meet development objectives.
• When appropriate, serve as acting EYO Director or Deputy Director
• Supervisory Relationship: The incumbent is supervised by the EYO Office Director
• Supervisory Controls: expected to supervise the Education and Youth Team in the absence of the Office Director.
• PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Applications will be initially screened by the Mission Human Resources Office to determine whether they have met the minimum qualifications listed below. All candidates who meet the minimum qualifications requirements will be referred to the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for further consideration and screening.

EDUCATION: A minimum of a Master’s degree in a functional area directly related to international education, international development, public administration, or social or behavioral sciences.

WORK EXPERIENCE: At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience designing, managing, and implementing education programs in developing countries.  Demonstrated track record of activity design and management, customer service, strategy formulation, and supervision.